PG&E solar interconnection: what it requires before you energize

AMI meters flag reverse flow documented

Drone and aerial line patrols reported

Notice first, then interconnection application or removal reported

PTO required before export. Owner-builder self install allowed with permits. NEM3 net billing (Rule 21). documented

sources: PG&E getting started with solar · PG&E interconnections & renewables

PG&E interconnection means a Rule 21 application through their portal, NEM3 net billing terms for new customers, and permission to operate before the system exports. Owner-builder self-installs are allowed with proper permits, and the application wants your single-line diagram, equipment list from the CEC certified database, and the signed agreement.

NEM3 changed the math: exports earn avoided-cost rates that average far below retail, varying by hour, which is why batteries and self-consumption dominate new California system design. Systems interconnected under earlier NEM versions keep their terms, but modifications can jeopardize legacy status, check before touching a grandfathered system.

The sequence that avoids expensive mistakes: application and approval first, then purchase and install, then city or county inspection, then PG&E's PTO email. Energizing before PTO is detectable, AMI meters log reverse flow in intervals, and it can complicate an otherwise clean application.

PG&E nets your exports, but the meter still logs every reverse-flow interval, including ones you didn't plan. Worth knowing your real number before they do.

Clamp meter on the grid input · energy monitor on the export register

Building battery-first or zero-export anyway? Craftstrom · EZ-1 · EG4

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